Department of Early Learning (DEL) continues to HIDE from Parents VITAL Day Care Information

A 2008 "transparency" article I wrote about the Department of Early Learning (DEL) to give parents a heads up on child day care is reprinted below.

In 2008 the Department of Early Learning (DEL) was scanning in the violations found at a complaint investigation and posting on the DEL website. Observed licensing violations were never scanned in.

DEL quit scanning in violations they found in licensed day care.

Sources told me the so-called union, SEIU, which is merely a taxpayer union (meaning your tax money goes directly from DSHS and DEL to SEIU) complained so transparent information was removed from the website by DEL.

The information that might potentially show the greatest risk to your child are the valid child protective services investigations. They have never been posted on the DEL website, neither on the daycares who continued to hold a license or on the daycares who lost their licenses.

We would like to see the media apply more critical thinking skills and logic to their reporting on these matters rather than parroting a press release statement from DEL director Betty Hyde, deputy director Bob Hamilton and/or communications manager Amy Blondin.

The Fourth Estate is welcome to contact me for research or documents they might find useful as background source material.

Here's my 2008 post:

Is the Governor's Child Care Licensing Agency Schmoozing the Media?
Is the media critically thinking through what the government feeds them for a story? What is the media's responsibility to carefully review information before going with the story?

King 5 reported this week that parents are now better informed, that transparency has been improved as the child care licensing agency DEL (The Department of Early Learning) now scans in the "Facility Licensing Compliance Agreements" into their website.

The most vital information the Governor's office (its Christine Gregoire's agency now) does not give are the child protective services (CPS) investigations.

Most important for parents to know is that the department has allowed providers and facilities with "founded" CPS charges to keep their licenses.

The parent will not find "CPS" information on the Governor's child care licensing website.

The website even tells you that.

Additionally, in direct violation of law (RCW) the parent is not notified of the licensed child care providers and facilities have current denial, suspension or revocation action pending.

Parents will not find the names of child day care providers or day care facilities who had their licenses denied, revoked or suspended in violation of a 2007 law enacted by your legislature in Washington State, RCW 43.215.370.

Parents could be using these day care providers not knowing and having no information source to go to... to know the license was revoked or denied.